Belinda opened her mouth, but before what I was sure would have been a slew of unfavourable condemnations of Fallon’s work, I spoke up.
‘Ms Morgenson,’ I leaned forward, clasping my hands tighter and resting them on the table. ‘I have chosen not to speak up about anything in my life, partly for reasons of privacy and partly because I never felt like I had anything tosay. Right now, I do. This book is the way I want to do it, and Miss Lowell is the person I want to write it. That is my condition on signing this deal.’ Having had more than enough back and forth, I rose from my chair. Tony, who had spent the entirety of my speech rubbing his temples and looking like he was moments away from an aneurysm, shot me ayou make my life hardlook. But he followed suit.
‘Mr Blake,’ Belinda held up her hands. ‘This project is an intriguing one. We want to ensure that it has thebestpeople on the job to accomplish it.’
I put my hands in my pockets, radiating confidence with every smooth gesture.
‘I couldn’t agree more. Miss Lowell is the best. Please email Tony with the particulars.’ I dipped my head in goodbye and exited the room, hearing Tony mumble various platitudes. I made it a few steps down the hallway when I realised Fallon wasn’t behind me. The glass door opened, and Tony stepped out, but no one else followed.
‘At this point, I shouldn’t be surprised that you just left a meeting that could put you back on the field, and yet, here I am, utterly baffled.’ Tony puffed out his cheeks in a sigh.
I ignored him, looking over his shoulder with growing concern.
‘Where’s Fallon?’’
25
FALLON
Isat frozen in the squeaky office chair, my hands white-knuckling the arms rests. I couldn’t move my body from the chair to follow Oliver, who had all but ended the meeting in one casual declaration. Everyone else had filtered out of the room, but not without several grumbled sighs aboutcelebrities.My dread for this meeting had been well founded. Belinda made her feelings about me well-known to the entire table. The prickle of shame stained my cheeks as I replayed what she said.
I’d tried to stand up for myself.Tried.But the voice in my head that agreed with everything Belinda said was beginning to get louder and louder; right now, it was screaming.
The only voice in my head that was nice to me sat huddled in a corner, rocking back and forth.
And then… Oliver.
The rat bastard had stood up for me. He’d told them I was the only one he wanted after threatening to fire me not twenty-four hours earlier, and then up and left without so much as a backwards glance. What the fuck?
I was getting emotional whiplash.
Blinking past the Oliver haze, I glanced around the empty room… thealmostempty room.
One person lingered, taking an unnecessary amount of time picking up his iPad and smoothing down his suit.
The last thing I needed right then was to sit in a room with Charlie. I unfurled my fingers, stretching out the aching muscles.
I picked up my bag from the floor, slung it over my shoulder and was about to head to the door without uttering a single word to him when soft laughter started behind me.
Ignore him. Ignore him.
I repeated it several times. But if anything had been made clear in this meeting; I didn’t make smart decisions. Spinning around with a flourish, I met his cruel eyes and raised my brow in a questioning look.
‘Something funny?’
His sneer sent a shiver down my spine.
‘You think we all don’t know what’s going on? You’re not being that subtle Fal.’
Fal.My name wasn’t meant to be shortened, yet people insisted on doing it—everyone except Oliver.
‘IthinkI’m writing a biography, but I’m sure your microscopic brain has conjured up something much more salacious, so why don’t you tell me what I’m up to?’ Radiating far more confidence than I felt, I folded my arms across my chest.
Charlie bristled at my tone.
‘A world-famous footballer wants an unemployed nobody who looks like she should be working at an ice cream shop.’
The jab at my weight didn’t really hurt because, frankly, I was used to it. Even when we were together, he would make little comments here and there about my weight or eating, all under the guise of jokes.
